Keeping the windows open and the bugs out

By Mike Wendland | Updated Mar 13, 2014

We've sure enjoyed the warm weather down along the Gulf Coast of Mississippi and throughout Florida the past few weeks except for one thing: Bugs

The mosquitos are hatched down south. As are the No-See-Ums, Biting Midges and Sand Flies.

They are particularly bad at night. With the warm weather, that means it can get pretty hot inside a camper van or Class B motorhome. We could have run the air conditioner. But that's pretty loud. And it tends to make it too cold late at night.

So we rolled down the driver and passenger side windows.

And the bugs never got to us.

That's because we used Skeeker Beaters.

We've been offering them on the Roadtrek Store for a couple of months now. But this was the first opportunity we had to really test them out.

They worked great!

Skeeter Beaters are magnetic vehicle window screens made out of mesh fabric that allows air to flow freely through open windows while keeping out not only mosquitos, flies and other pesky bugs but also the tiny, blood sucking midges and No-See-Ums. These screens adhere to your metal window frame using non-abrasive, high-energy magnets that will not shatter or break. The magnets are sewn in around the hemline. The screens come as a pair in a set, one for both the driver and passenger side windows.

We put them on most every night. When the wind kicked up strong one night they held fast. They pack in their own drawstring bag and fit easily into a suitcase, the glove box, a door pocket, or the map pocket behind your seats.

They fit all models of the Roadtrek and most other Class B campervans on the Sprinter, Ford or Chevy chasis.

Check the video to see them on our Roadtrek eTrek. Click here for more info on them.

Mike Wendland

Published on 2014-03-13

Mike Wendland is a multiple Emmy-award-winning Journalist, Podcaster, YouTuber, and Blogger, who has traveled with his wife, Jennifer, all over North America in an RV, sharing adventures and reviewing RV, Camping, Outdoor, Travel and Tech Gear for the past 12 years. They are leading industry experts in RV living and have written 18 travel books.

16 Responses to “Keeping the windows open and the bugs out”

March 17, 2014at12:17 pm, Bob Rivers said:

Hey Mike, which “model” did you get? We have an eTrek also.

March 17, 2014at10:28 am, J Hamm said:

There is another great product available called skreenz I think. They are like a pillow case fit over your front doors. They are custom made for your year . You slip over door and then close the door. You now have double layer screen and window rolls down in between..

If you have rain guard over window you let guy know and he makes a little bigger to accommodate it. You can Google to find website. They are great!!!

March 17, 2014at11:19 pm, Pat said:

I made two “pillow case” type screens as described by J Hamm. Very easy and inexpensive. Screen material with a casing for a strip magnet on the outside bottom. Slip it over the door and close the door as he/she says.

March 13, 2014at10:13 pm, Gayla Lindquist said:

Our solution is not beautiful, but it is cheap. I use it even when stopping for gas in buggy areas. I bought two baby carriage mosquito nets, the kind with elastic all around, one for each front door. I open the door, spread out the net, close the door, then roll down the window. Quick and cheap.

March 14, 2014at12:54 am, Maureen said:

Well now…isn’t that ingenious!

March 13, 2014at4:19 pm, Sally J Botkin Sands said:

That’s great! Now all I need is the Roadtrek.

March 13, 2014at1:36 pm, Elaine Schuster said:

These have just one disadvantage, they can’t contain a wandering, defenestrating dog. We need a fixed screen that fits up into the top channel and is held in place by rolling up the windows to the bottom channel of the screen.